Professor Umerah Hails Supreme Court Judgment on LG Autonomy, Lauds President Tinubu



An American-based Professor of Medicine, philanthropist and President Public Policy Advocacy and Research Council (PPARC) Prof. Emeka Umerah, has hailed the Supreme Court judgment which ordered that federal allocations should henceforth be paid directly to the nation's 774 Local Governments rather than through state governments.

In a statement signed on sunday on behalf of PPARC President by Eric Oluwole; The Program Director of Public Policy Advocacy and Research Council (Africa Desk), Prof commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his rare courage and statesmanship in instituting the suit.

Prof Emeka Umerah believed that the Supreme Court judgment is epochal in that for the first time in many years, the local administrations at the grassroots will now have direct access to their full monthly allocations from the Federation Account.

He said: "With this judgment, our Local Governments constituting the third tier of government, and which are closest to our suffering people at the grassroots, will now have adequate funds to cater for the immediate needs of our highly expectant people at the grassroots.

"What the Supreme Court judgment has done is that it has removed a major impediment to real development at the local level.

"It has freed the councils from their long term subjection to the whims and caprices of state governors, many of who unfortunately have been diverting funds meant for development in the councils to other areas unilaterally dictated by them.

"With this landmark judgment, our Local Governments constituting the third tier of government, and which are closest to our suffering people at the grassroots, will now have adequate funds to cater for the immediate needs of our highly expectant people at the grasroots.

"It is noteworthy that President Tinubu, as a former Lagos State Governor introduced the Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs for the first time in this country to further bring government closer to the common people at the grassroots, and thereby tackle headlong the grinding poverty which has made Nigeria a leading poverty capital in the world.

"Also, the Supreme Court by this judgment has thrown open the gate to the much-expected restructuring of our lopsided federation to restore health to our dear fatherland, for which Nigerians generslly have been clamouring for.

"President Tinubu deserves kudos of all well meaning Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora for initiating the suit leading to this most remarkable judgment as foundation for building a new Nigeria for all the citizens.'

In its judgment on Thursday, the Supreme Court had barred governors from th Governments' funds.

Besides, it declared that governors lack the constitutional power to dissolve Local Governments' recognised by the Constitution.
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It therefore nullified the Joint Account Allocation Committe, JAAC. operated jointly by the states and councils.

The Supreme Court on Thursday, declared that it is unconstitutional for state governors to hold on to funds meant for Local Government administrations.

Also, it barred governors from dissolving democratically elected Local Government councils in the country.

It declared in a landmark judgement that doing so, would amount to a breach of the 1999 Constitution.

In its lead judgement, read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court observed that the refusal of state governments on financial autonomy for local governments has gone on for over two decades.

Justice Agim said that local governments has since stopped receiving the money meant for them from the state governors who act in their stead.

He ordered that the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds themselves.

He dismissed the preliminary objections of the defendants (state governors).

In the suit filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Federal Government sought an order preventing the governors from arbitrarily dissolving democratically elected councils.

The suit by the AGF was on 27 grounds.

Justice Agim said the AGF has the right to institute the suit and protect the constitution.

The apex court consequently directed that Local Government allocation from the Federation Account should be paid directly to them henceforth.

The 36 state governors, defendants in the suit, opposed the AGF for instituting the case.

The Supreme Court, however, said the defendants (governors) just wasted their time in the suit.

The highest court of the land also granted financial autonomy to the 774 local government councils in the country.

It scolded governors for their decades-long refusal of autonomy for local governments.

The Court dismissed the preliminary objections of the defendants (state governors).

The apex court directed that Local Government allocations from the Federation Account should be paid directly to them henceforth, and not to state government coffers.

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN presented the case of the Federal Government, while the 36 state governors presented their own cases through their lawyers.

Everyone is happy with local government autonomy except PETER OBI who always feel bad in anything that has to do with progress of Nigeria and Nigerians .